Properties and morphology of supertoughened polyamide 6 hybrid composites

In this study, supertoughened polyamide (PA) nanocomposites were prepared by the incorporation of epoxidized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) into the polyamide 6 (PA6)/methyl methacrylate–butadiene–styrene copolymer (MBS) blend via a melt‐blending method. The effect of POSS on the rheological properties, mechanical properties, water uptake, and morphology of the hybrid PA6 nanocomposites was studied. The results show that under impact loading, the hybrid PA6 composites exhibited significant improvements in both the crack initiation energy and the crack propagation energy. This hybrid composite showed supertough behavior. Meanwhile, the tensile strength and the water absorption resistance was also improved with the addition of epoxidized POSS. The capillary and torque rheological results indicated that the epoxidized POSS, which acted as nanoscale ball bearings, significantly decreased the melt viscosity of the matrices and facilitated the melting process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed to study the microstructure–property relationships of the hybrid PA6 composites. The TEM results showed that the MBS particles were dispersed homogeneously in the PA6 matrix. The mean diameter of the MBS particles decreased, and the size distribution of the MBS particles narrowed down with the introduction of the epoxidized POSS and compatiblizer. The SEM micrographs indicated that the impact fracture surfaces of the PA composites showed morphological characteristics of supertough polymers because of the synergistic effect of the functionalized POSS and compatibilized MBS particles. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012